E1326 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks July 25, 2012 

Cleveland Catholic Diocese parishes that will 

be reopening this year. 

In 2009 it was announced that several of 

the Cleveland Catholic Diocese’s area churches, including St. Barbara’s, were to close. 

However, just months ago, the Vatican overruled this decision and St. James’ will be reopening its doors on Wednesday, July 25, 

2012. 

St. James Church was founded in 1908 as 

the founding parish for the cities of Lakewood 

and Rocky River. For more than a century, St. 

James has been a house of worship and gathering for the Catholic residents of Lakewood, 

Ohio. 

After Bishop Lennon’s 2009 announcement 

parishioners gathered together and formed 

Friends of Saint James/Save Saint James in 

an effort to stop the closing of their church. 

The members of Friends of Saint James/Save 

Saint James are committed to the preservation 

of Saint James as a parish and an 

architecturally significant structure in the City 

of Lakewood. They have dedicated themselves to the development of a long range financial plan for capital improvements and 

maintenance of the church and its programs. 

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me 

in recognizing the reopening of St. James’ 

Church, a beloved parish that has returned to 

the City of Lakewood. 

f 

HONORING DR. JOHN EVANS ATTA 

MILLS 

HON. CORRINE BROWN OF FLORIDA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise 

today in remembrance of Dr. John Evans Atta 

Mills, President of the Republic of Ghana. I 

was saddened to hear about the untimely 

death of President Mills. My thoughts, prayers 

and condolences go to his wife, Ernestina 

Naadu, son, Samuel Kofi Atta Mills and the 

people of Ghana. The world has lost a leader, 

visionary and champion for democracy. 

President Mills pledged his life to education 

and the betterment of his beloved Ghana. He 

was born in July 1944 in the Western Region 

of Ghana. He was a master student who 

began his schooling at the revered Achimota 

Secondary School in Accra. He later went on 

to earn his bachelors and law degrees from 

the University of Ghana at Legon in 1967. 

Upon the completion of his PhD in African and 

Oriental Studies from the University of London, President Mills was selected as a Fulbright Scholar at Stanford University School of 

Law. 

After setting a strong foundation he returned 

home to educate and impart his lessons on 

the youth. President Mills dedicated nearly 25 

years to higher academia as a professor in 

numerous areas such as law, tax and African 

studies. He was passionate about teaching 

and politics. First serving in the capacity of 

Vice President from 1997 through 2001, Dr. 

Mills was sworn in as President and Commander in Chief of the Republic of Ghana in 

January of 2009. 

I join with President Obama and various 

world leaders as we remember President 

Mills, who was often referred to as a calm politician and gentle giant. In 2009, President 

Obama and the First Family traveled to Ghana 

in his first presidential visit to Sub-Saharan Africa. President Obama praised President Mills 

for making Ghana a ‘‘good news story’’ that 

had good democratic credentials. Under the 

leadership of President Mills, the United 

States and Ghana deepened our partnership 

in the promotion of good governance and economic development. 

President John Evan Atta Mills is credited 

with leading Ghana through a period of stability and economic growth in the midst of unforeseen global circumstances. He is quoted 

as saying ‘‘Every leader has a period of service’’. Though his service has come to an unexpected end, as we reflect upon his life and 

legacy, we can appreciate his tireless efforts 

that have come to fruition. A shining star in 

West Africa, Ghana was and still remains a 

trailblazing nation for the region and continent, 

with its strong tradition of democracy. Epitomizing humility in leadership, President Mills 

was a calming and stabilizing force for not 

only his people but the continent as a whole. 

f 

HONORING MAYOR BETTY ANN 

MATTHIES 

HON. HENRY CUELLAR OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 

recognize the retiring Mayor of the City of 

Seguin in Texas, Betty Ann Matthies. She was 

elected Mayor of the City of Seguin in 2004 

and is ending her tenure in 2012. Her tireless 

efforts have improved the community and 

served to better the development and 

progress for the City of Seguin. 

Mayor Matthies was born in Guadalupe 

County, Texas on September 23, 1934. She 

graduated from Seguin High School in 1953 

and pursued her higher education degree at 

the University of Texas at Austin. Mayor 

Matthies graduated from Seton School of 

Nursing in Austin, Texas three years after 

graduating high school. As a registered nurse 

she was employed at the Nix Hospital for five 

years as an Operating Room Registered 

Nurse. By 1961, she moved to Seguin where 

she worked at the Guadalupe Valley Hospital 

until 2004—serving the patients and health 

care community for 41 years. As Director of 

Nursing, she was promoted to Associate Administrator by 1978, the same year she received her certificate in Health Care Administration from Trinity University in San Antonio. 

By 2000, Matthies was elected to the 

Seguin City Council and re-elected for a four 

year term in 2002. After resigning from her 

council position she was elected as Mayor in 

2004 and is currently on her second term in 

office, which expires in November 2012. I had 

the pleasure of working with the Mayor on various projects, such as securing over $850,000 

in federal funding on landscape improvements 

throughout Seguin on Interstate Highway 10, 

US 90 and SH 123. The transportation improvement project started in 2009 and is nearly complete. 

Along with helping the city in her work as 

Mayor, she was active in the community as 

serving on the Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and 

American Legion Auxiliary. She was also a 

member of the First United Methodist Church 

and Seguin Shakespeare Club. Mayor 

Matthies was married to her late husband C.H. 

Matthies Jr. in 1957 until his passing in 2000. 

C. Henry Matthies III, Elizabeth Kelly and 

Wesley Matthies are their children. 

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize Ms. 

Betty Ann Matthies, retiring Mayor of the City 

of Seguin. Her years of dedication and commitment to our community have truly impacted 

the quality of lives for the people of the city. 

f 

PERSONAL EXPLANATION 

HON. GEORGE MILLER OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 

Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. 

Speaker, on July 23, 2012, I was in California 

attending to family obligations. Had I been 

present, I would have voted as follows: 

On rollcall vote No. 499, I would have voted 

‘‘nay.’’ 

On rollcall vote No. 500, I would have voted 

‘‘nay.’’ 

On rollcall vote No. 501, I would have voted 

‘‘yea.’’ 

f 

RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE OF 

CAPTAIN STANTON E. COPE IN 

THE UNITED STATES NAVY 

HON. DAN BURTON OF INDIANA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I 

have the distinct privilege of rising to honor an 

outstanding Hoosier for his patriotism and military service. CAPT Stanton E. Cope served 

with honor in the United States Navy from 

1989–2012, where he served in the Medical 

Service Corps as entomologist for 20 years. 

Captain Stanton Elijah Cope was born January 5, 1954 in Huntington, Indiana. In 1976, he 

graduated from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania with a B.A. degree in Biology and received a Master of Science degree in Entomology from the University of Delaware in 

1981. In 1988, he completed his Doctorate in 

Public Health at the University of California, 

Los Angeles, and was commissioned in the 

United States Navy. 

Captain Cope’s first assignment, in 1989, 

was to the Navy Disease Vector Ecology and 

Control Center, Jacksonville, Florida, where he 

served as the Head of the Operations Department. In June 1992, he reported to the Naval 

Medical Research Unit No. 3, Cairo, Egypt, 

where he served as Head, Medical Zoology 

Division and Head, Risk Assessment Branch. 

In July 1994, Captain Cope reported to the 

Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine 

Unit No. 6, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as Assistant 

Head, Department of Entomology and became 

Head in August 1995. He also served as Special Assistant to the Officer in Charge for 

Operational Issues. In August 1997, he reported to the Navy Environmental Health Center in Norfolk, Virginia as Entomology Department Head. In January 2000, he was selected 

to be Executive Assistant to the Assistant 


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